


Scones (Christmas Presents)

by cantthinkofausername_B_Pike



Series: Carry On Countdown 2017 [28]
Category: Carry On - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Baking, Carry On Countdown, Christmas Presents, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, penny/baz brotp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 08:10:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13119663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cantthinkofausername_B_Pike/pseuds/cantthinkofausername_B_Pike
Summary: Baz has no idea what to get Simon for Christmas, so he eventually settles on baking the infamous sour cherry scones from Watford.Carry On Countdown Day 29: Christmas Presents.





	Scones (Christmas Presents)

_Ringringringri_ \- The high-pitched trill of the phone abruptly cuts off as Bunce picks up.

“Bunce?” Baz asks, sounding slightly desperate.

“What’s up, Baz?”

“I can’t think of a present for Snow,” he confesses. “Can you help me?”

Despite being a couple thousand miles away, Baz can sense her eyeroll. She’s spending Christmas with Micah this year, which would be fine, except it leaves Baz in the horrible position of actually having to think of a Christmas gift for Snow. “He’s _your_ boyfriend, Baz.”

“It’s a week before Christmas, and I have no ideas. I am _this_ close to just sticking a bow on my head and sitting by the tree.”

Penny laughs. “A sparkly bow? Because I would pay good money to see that.”

“That is the point! I need help!”

“All right, all right. What have you already thought of?”

“Well, I know he needs new shirts, but whenever I bring that up he always says that he can buy them himself. We both know he can’t, but the idea that he could is important to him. He works overtime at the Waffle House, and it’s barely putting him through uni. He has enough student loans that it scares me sometimes. And he needs a suit for the party next month, but I’m already the one dragging him to an event my family is putting on and I hate to remind him of that. It wouldn’t feel right. Anything I get for the flat is as much a present for me as it is for him, and-”

“Okay then,” Penny says, cutting him off. “Seems like a bit of a problem.”

“That’s what I’ve been _saying_ ,” Baz hisses into the phone. “What are you getting him?”

“You’ll see,” she says mysteriously. “It sounds like you need to get him a present that he doesn’t need, but something that he’d want.”

Baz waits for a second. Surely, there has to be something a bit more specific than that. Preferably, something on the level of ‘He’s been eyeing this one particular sweater for a while now.’ Soon, it becomes clear that he’s not getting any more information. “How is that supposed to help?”

“Again, _your_ boyfriend,” Penny reminds him.

“I usually just get Vera to buy presents at home. She’s so much better at it than me.”

Penny’s laughter is so loud Baz has to hold the phone away from his ear. “Oh, that is _priceless_ ,” Penny manages in between laughs. “Your _housekeeper_ buys the Christmas presents. You are _such_ a rich person.”

“Don’t you dare tell anyone,” Baz threatens.

“I have to go,” Penny says, still laughing. “Time difference and all. Dinnertime. Good luck!” She hangs up before Baz can say anything else.

Baz glares at the clock. Its display of 1:00 AM is the only light in the room. Sighing dramatically though there’s no one to hear it, Baz flops down onto his bed, determined to think of a present before Simon gets back from work.

 

***

 

It takes him a few days, but eventually Baz comes up with the perfect present for Simon. His love for sour cherry scones is known far and wide. (Baz found out through Penny that the scones were the thing he missed most about Watford.) So, Baz decides he would figure out how to make the scones.

What he didn’t count on was it being this difficult. After spending hours searching the internet, Baz was forced to call Cook Pritchard at Watford for the recipe. _That_ exchange was almost awkward enough to make Baz consider dropping the entire adventure. Apparently, cooks were not keen on giving out their secret recipes, not even to a former favorite student trying to impress their boyfriend. 

The first time Baz tries to make the scones, things don’t go well. That’s all he will admit about the affair. The cleaning of the kitchen was completely coincidental and had nothing to do with the failed baking adventure. The second time, things go a little bit better, (they are edible) though the end product is a far cry from Watford’s creations. Baz spends the majority of the time Simon is in class, asleep, or out of the apartment baking. By Christmas Eve, he is fairly confident he has mastered the art of sour cherry scone making. And if that took him over a dozen batches, that was nobody’s business.

Since Simon always wakes early, Baz makes sure he is awake by 3am on Christmas morning. He needs to have time to make the scones before Simon wakes up, and he wants to make sure everything is perfect. Keeping the lights as low as possible, Baz putters around the kitchen, mixing the flour and sugar and cherries quietly and wincing when the bowl clatters against the counter. 

A few minutes before the scones are due to come out of the oven, Baz hears Simon leave the bedroom. His footsteps sound like an elephant’s in the silence of the morning. Baz glances at the clock on the oven – it’s still well before he would expect Simon to be awake.

“Do I smell scones?” Simon asks blearily, sniffing the air like a dog.

Baz takes a sip from his coffee to avoid answering. “… Maybe?”

Immediately, Simon’s face lights up. Still clearly half-asleep, he makes a beeline for the kitchen.

“They’re not done yet!” Baz calls. Of course the smell of scones would wake Simon up. He wouldn’t be surprised if that smell could raise him from the dead.

Following his boyfriend into the kitchen, Baz finds Simon already making himself a coffee. (Black, not nearly enough sugar. Disgusting.) “Merry Christmas?”

“You made me _scones_ for Christmas?” Simon says incredulously.

“Um, yes?” Baz asks uncertainly. “I could get you something else, if you want.”

“No, this is perfect!” Simon exclaims, barely remembering to put his coffee down before enthusiastically hugging Baz.

“They’re sour cherry. Like at Watford.”

“I love you,” Simon mumbles into Baz’s shoulder. “ _Scones_ ,” he says reverentially.

“Scones,” Baz echoes with the ghost of a laugh. “I love you too, Simon.”

**Author's Note:**

> Didn't think I was going to get this up in time! Whew! Is the ending a bit rushed? Yes. But it wouldn't be if I had actually worked on it for more than 20 minutes. *sings* _PROCRASTINATIONNNN_  
>  Can't believe the Countdown is over tomorrow. Only one more day. Wow.


End file.
